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NSPCC - Can't Look
A rather unsettling and disturbing PIF from the NSPCC, released in 1999. Also known as "Don't Look". Description: We see the following clips in this order: # We slowly zoom into a teddy bear wallpaper with teddies covering their eyes as a mother is heard off-screen threatening to smash her baby's face against the cot if he/she doesn't stop, before beating him by other means with a rattle, which can imply violence. We zoom in until only one teddy bear is seen covering its eyes. # We zoom out from a poster of Alan Shearer who is also covering his eyes as a man is heard asking a child to sit with him, likely to molest him. # We zoom out from a Rupert The Bear mug with the titular character covering his eyes, as a father is heard constantly banging on the table, shouting at his child, and calling him stupid, which can imply verbal abuse. Right before the next clip, you can see the father throwing the mug off the table. # An action figure covers his eyes as we pan from him to a door either leading to a closet or bedroom, as we hear a telephone ringing in the background and a boy is heard calling for his mum off-screen, saying he "doesn't like being on his own", which can imply child neglect. # We see a magazine with the Spice Girls, who are all covering their eyes, as a man is heard telling a girl not to tell a word to anyone, as we see the covers of the bed move as the man tries to molest her. The entire shot fades to black slowly. Then, after a few seconds, the NSPCC's phone number fades in with the message "To help stop cruelty to children call 0845 6000 266" on a grey background. The disclaimer "Supported by Microsoft" is seen at the bottom right corner. The number then fades to the NSPCC logo, followed by its full-stop campaign. FX/SFX: Live-action footage, though we don't see any on-screen action. Music/Sounds: Only off-screen dialogue and sound effects heard, showing violence, neglect, verbal abuse, and sexual assault. # There are sounds of a baby wailing. Then the mother screams: "SHUT UP!!! I'll smash your face against that cot if you don't shut your screaming NOISE!!!" Then we hear the sounds of a rattle, as well as the baby whimpering. # "Come and sit over here..." # "You're brainless... you're stupid... you're no child of mine!" Sounds of banging. # "Mummy... where are you? I don't like being on my own." Sounds of a telephone ringing in the background. # "Not a word to anyone. This is going to be our little secret." Then, after all of this happens, we go into a few seconds of silence until a female announcer says "Sometimes, we can't bare to look either. But cruelty to children can be stopped, and with your help, it can be stopped forever. Please, support the NSPCC's new Full stop campaign." As a girl singing in opera-falsetto is heard. Variant: There is a version without the female announcer. Some dialogue is changed too. The man‘s dialogue Is changed to a girl desperately telling her father to stop. Availability: Seen on many YouTube channels. It stayed on the air despite receiving 150 complaints, and 46 of these complaints were from people with bad childhood experiences. Scare Factor (Original): Low to Nightmare. The mother's violent act to her baby, the father's fury to his child, the neglect of a boy, the man's sexual assault to a girl and the music at the end of the PIF can all be really unsettling to young viewers. Scare Factor (Alt): High to Nightmare. The girl whimpering, and the fact that there's no announcer to accompany the music just makes things worse. Category:Charities PIFs Category:PIFs Category:Video PIFs Category:NSPCC Category:Nightmare-rated PIFs Category:United Kingdom Category:1990's PIFs Category:Violent PIFs Category:Television PIFs Category:Child Abuse PIFs Category:1999